CELEBRATING ADVENT: The Joyful Mystery of Waiting
FR. PIUSRALPH EFFIONG, SMMM
piusralphe@gmail.com
Introduction:
The Church opens the door of her Liturgical year with a four-week season of great waiting for the solemn feast of human redemption which Prophet Isaiah foretold, (cf. Isaiah 7:14); and being fulfilled in the gospel pericope of Evangelist Luke (cf. Lk 1:26-31).
These four weeks preceding this great festival in the annals of history of man’s redemption has a deeper meaning beyond what mere eye can see, words can interpret or human mind can easily conceive, it is embedded in mystery beyond our understanding. That is why, it remains a joyful mystery of waiting with high hope and aspiration. In the same spirit, Luke Mbefo observed an advent as not being a transcendental concept pointing to the world to come, but a concept immanent in our everyday life which Jesus Christ during His public ministry often emphasized that the kingdom of God is among you. (cf. Mbefo, L. N., The Liturgical Year in Action, Onitsha: Spiritan Publications, 1997, p. 11).
With this in mind, let us journey together to unknot the sacred and joyful mystery enshrouded in this solemn season of waiting, which Michael Ford’s Eternal Season sees it as a season with a two-fold character: a time of preparation for the festival of the Nativity when the first coming of God’s Son to the world is recalled and a period of reflection pointing us to Christ’s second coming at the end of time (Parousia).
Its Meaning, Chronicle and Spirit:
Advent is a term derived from Latin usage “adventus” meaning “coming.” In the Christian Church calendar, it refers to the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and also of preparation for the second coming of Christ. It begins on the Sunday following the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle. This solemnity opens the liturgical year.
Historically, the exact date when the season was first observed is uncertain. But one of the surviving records has it that, Bishop Perpetus of Tours (461 - 490) established a fast before Christmas that began on November 11 (the memorial of St. Martin of Tours), and the Council of Tours (567) mentioned an Advent season.
Its liturgical meaning referred to the dual “coming” of Jesus – his incarnation in Bethlehem and his second coming as judge at the end of time, the great “parousia.” Together with Lent it was observed as a penitential season, though not with the same rigour as Lent.
Consequently, Advent developed increasingly into the joyful anticipation of Jesus Christ’s nativity. (cf. "Advent." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Ultimate Reference Suite. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014.)
In the course of this season the church prepares spiritually and liturgically to create an enabling environment for her children to be in-watch while waiting for the coming of our Saviour and Redeemer – Jesus Christ. During this period, the church through sacred readings and prayers directs our thoughts and minds to the mystery of our redemption. The initial part of the season focuses on the second coming of the Lord, while the second part of the season beginning from December 17 to 24 pays attention to the immediate preparation for Christmastide. In this season, we are called to deepen our faith through intense prayer, watchfulness and true repentance of our sins. These spiritual attitudes will give us that insight to recognize the Lord who comes to us. Though, the Lord is always present in our daily lives, activities and happenings, but the season is a reminder to be conscious of His ever abiding presence among us in all facets of life.
We celebrate advent to recall the time in history of salvation when the word was made flesh but was still hidden, a mustard seed that would eventually become an icon for human redemption. In this way, with the spirit of advent, we ought to recognize the finger of God in all events of life, no matter how painful it may be with hope. In the course of liturgical celebrations within this season, the church invites us to meditate on the hidden presence of God and at the same time live in hope; since His coming into the world herald hope, comfort, joy and peace. The sacred text of the Book of Apocalypse “… behold I will make all things new” (Rev 21:5), serves as a thriving ground for this season of waiting, which the entire church mark it as a new dawn for Christian pilgrimage. To be renewed with grace and the spirit. Here Evangelist Matthew reporting these words and describing the ministry of desert preacher - John the Baptist, which is the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophetic utterance, a voice cries, “Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make straight highway for our God across the desert. Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low, let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley …” (Isaiah 40:3-4)
This similar clarion call for conversion could be found in the Pauline epistle to the Romans which part of it forms the second reading of First Sunday of Advent year A. Here St. Paul awakens in us an urgency in our moral efforts. He reminds us that we have already witnessing the new era, and our life here on earth should be in constant waiting for the great parousia. This admonition, invoke in us the need to live as ‘children of light’ and bear witness to this truth which is embedded in Christ Jesus, our Redeemer. (cf. Rom 13:11-24). Advent season not in strict sense penitential as Lenten Season, instead it is a season of joyful hope. This does not imply that we should play down the penitential elements that follow it.
At the beginning of this season, that is after the feast of Christ the King. The liturgical environment takes a new shape with violet or purple as central colour. This same colour could be used for the altar frontal, the lectern, as well as liturgical vestments for priests and other minor ministers. Within this period, there are three cycles of readings: texts from the Old Testament, New Testament letters and from the Gospels for the Sundays of the Church year. The cycles begin with the first Sunday of Advent each year.
However, the gospel readings for the season of Advent follow the same pattern every year, giving us biblical symbols that will help us to enter gratefully into the mystery of waiting. In the first Sunday of Advent, the Christian community awaits the coming of the Lord. The second and third Sundays x-ray John the Baptist’s ministry as precursor of Christ, while the fourth Sunday gives the highlight of our lady’s pregnancy.
The season of advent ushered in a lot of varieties to spice up our spirituality. Martin, Michaelann’s Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas brings to limelight these features in a spectacular ways. For Michaelann, the season traditionally is decorated with a wreath which has German origins. It is probably the most recognized Advent custom. It is a wreath made of evergreens that is bound to a circle of wire. It symbolizes the many years from Adam to Christ in which the world awaited its Redeemer; it also represents the years that we have awaited His second and final coming. The wreath holds four equally spaced candles, the three purple ones lit on the penitential Sundays and a pink one for Gaudete, the joyful third Sunday in Advent. The empty manger which implies that each child may have his own individual manger, or there may be one manger for the whole family. The idea is that when acts of service, sacrifice, or kindness are done in honor of Baby Jesus as a birthday present, the child receives a piece of straw to put into the manger. Then, on Christmas morning, Baby Jesus is placed in the manger. Encourage your children to make Jesus bed as comfortable as possible through their good deeds. In the process, explain Christ’s incomparable self-gift at Christmas. Others are the Jesse tree which tells about Christ’s ancestry through symbols and relates Scripture to salvation history, progressing from creation to the birth of Christ, St. Nicholas Day. The feast of St. Nicholas is on December 6th. It is a highlight of the Advent season. Each child puts out a shoe the night before St. Nicholas Day in the hope that the kind bishop with his miter, staff, and bag of gifts will pay a visit. The current Santa Claus is modeled after St. Nicholas, but commercialism has tarnished the true story. Many families give gifts on both December 6 and Christmas. The Christ candle is yet another features for this great season. Any large white candle can be used for the Christ candle. The idea is to decorate it with symbols for Christ. Use old Christmas cards, sequins, holly, etc. The candle can be lit on Christmas Eve to show that the Light of the World has arrived. Then continue to light the Christ candle throughout the year at Sunday dinner to remind your family of our waiting for Christ, as well as celebrating His birth and Resurrection. This is followed with the Mary’s candle, here some
families have the custom of decorating the Christ candle with a blue veil on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this great feast, others place a candle with a blue ribbon before a statue or picture of the Blessed Virgin, whose yes to God enabled our Lords coming at Christmas. The candle is lit during meal times to serve as a delightful reminder of Mary’s eager expectation of the Light of the World. It can also serve as a reminder to each family member to keep their own light of grace burning as a preparation for Christ’s coming. (cf. Martin, M., Catholic Traditions for Advent and Christmas, Lay Witness, December 1998).
Interestingly, the second part of the Advent season witnessed the great “O’s or great Advent antiphons” in the course of the liturgy of the hours. That is to say, from the evening prayer (Vesper) of December 17, for the next seven days of Advent, the Magnificat antiphons begins with the great “O….” This acclamation is likely date to sixth-century in Italy, when Boethius refers to the text in the Consolation of Philosophy. Then it subsequently became one of the key musical features of the days leading up to Christmas.
Conclusion:
The season of Advent ends with Christmas Eve. As we journey with the church within this season of prayer, reflection on the mystery of Christ’s nativity and turning to God; let us be mindful of the fact that, this is a new dawn of our spirituality. A moment of renewal, of growing in intimacy with Jesus and in an ever deeper understanding of Him in our lives. To crown it all, we are awaiting the word made flesh, which pitch His tent among us, and His glory covers us (cf. Jn 1:14) As we are awaiting the arrival of our Redeemer, let us pray to God that may His only begotten son found a befitting and abiding place in our hearts so that we may radiates this joyful mystery of waiting to wherever man is found.
